List of community buildings Peterborough council considering selling is made public for the first time

The Cresset and the Regional Pool are among the familiar locations named in Peterborough City Council’s (PCC) assets review, made up of buildings it’s currently considering selling or repurposing.

Part of the list, which contains libraries, leisure facilities and children’s and community centres, has been made public for the first time after months of private discussions.

But while PCC’s administration said last year that the full list, said to contain 79 council-owned buildings, would be made public, the published list contains just 28.

This is because a different approach to the review has been taken, deputy leader Cllr John Howard (Peterborough First, Hargate and Hempstead) explained.

The named buildings – including The Cresset and the Regional – make up the first phase of the review, he said, while the other community buildings not yet named may come back at phase three or four.

School and education buildings to be added to review

The next phase, phase two, will be made up of school and academy buildings, he continued, after several education institutes told the council they currently have unused space.

“Phase two is going to change in terms of what the priorities are for it,” Cllr Howard said at a PCC meeting this week. “It’s now going to be based on excess buildings or space at our academies and schools, because actually, it seems, talking to some of our schools, that there are areas where they have buildings that are unused within their estate.”

Cllr Marco Cereste (Conservatives, Hampton Vale) said on this point that, with families struggling to find school places for their children, if any of the excess buildings can be used as classroom space, this should be done as a matter of urgency.

“We need them and we need them now,” he said.

Changes afoot at Cresset and Regional

But returning to the buildings that have been named in phase one of the review, the council says that options for the Regional Pool on Bishop’s Road are being actively considered while council leaders have held talks with Living Sport, a conduit to national agency Sport England, to discuss them.

It adds that it will review its occupation of The Cresset theatre and entertainment complex: while the Kingfisher Centre, from which DIAL Peterborough (Disablement Information and Advice Line) operates, will be retained, the library “is not sustainable in current location and restricts income generating opportunities for the Cresset”, it says.

It’s currently discussing options around moving it to a different part of the facility.

Also on the list is Eye Youth Centre and Library. PCC has received a petition with more than 1,000 signatures requesting that the facilities remain open which will be discussed at a full council meeting this week.

Its asset list document says that its services could be relocated, but that an impact assessment is “underway”.

In all cases, no final decisions have yet been made.

The full list of phase one assets

Here’s what else you can find on the list:

• Southfields Community Centre –Tipped for redevelopment
• Stanground Library – Tipped for redevelopment with new library and community space on ground floor and flats above
• Fleet Community Centre – May be sold to association running centre and excess land sold
• Regional Fitness and Swimming Centre – Feasibility studies ongoing
• Stafford Hall Community Centre – May be leased to third party
• The Barn – Could become a “community leisure use facility”
• Thorney Community Centre and Library – Library and foodbank could be relocated and building sold
• Woodston Library – Could be converted to bungalow for temporary accommodation needs
• 30 Cromwell Road – May be sold
• Thistle Drive Community Centre – May be sold but gymnastics group must be allowed to stay
• Matley Community Centre – May be sold to third party for continued use
• 441 Lincoln Road – No decisions made
• Welland Contact Centre – May be converted to temporary accommodation
• Dogsthorpe Community Centre – Could become new family contact centre and children's hub
• Walton Community Centre – May be sold to education provider
• Chestnuts Community Centre – Operators may purchase
• 318 Gladstone Street – Council considering options to sell freehold
• Herlington Community Centre and Children’s Centre – Tipped for retention
• George Alcock Community Centre – Tipped for retention
• Paston Farm – Council services may be relocated
• Eye Youth Centre and Library – Could be subsumed by Manor Farm Community Centre
• Bluebell meeting rooms – Review ongoing
• Orton Wistow Community Centre – May be purchased by community group
• New England Complex – Review ongoing
• EAST Community Centre – Review ongoing
• The Cresset – Areas leased by council under review
• The Cresset car park – Removed from review

In all cases, further approvals will be needed before any changes can be made.

In some cases, these can be granted by the council itself, but others will require permission from central Government.

The sites and their futures will first be discussed publicly by councillors at a scrutiny committee meeting on 30th January.